What Happens When Water And Air Mix

Water in its liquid form has an unusually high boiling point temperature, a value close to 100°C. A considerable amount of heat energy is required to accomplish this change in water. As liquid water heats up, hydrogen bonding makes it difficult to separate the water molecules from each other, which is required for it to enter its gaseous phase . The formation of hydrogen bonds is an important quality of liquid water that is crucial to life as we know it. In liquid water, hydrogen bonds are constantly formed and broken as the water molecules slide past each other. The breaking of these bonds is caused by the motion of the water molecules due to the heat contained in the system.

On the other hand, when the temperature of water is reduced and water freezes, the water molecules form a crystalline structure maintained by hydrogen bonding . This makes ice less dense than liquid water, a phenomenon not seen in the solidification of other liquids. Conversely, as molecular motion decreases and temperatures drop, less energy is present to break the hydrogen bonds between water molecules.

These bonds remain intact and begin to form a rigid, lattice-like structure (e.g., ice) (Figure 2.8 a). This means that ice floats on the surface of a body of water (Figure 2.8 b). In lakes, ponds, and oceans, ice will form on the surface of the water, creating an insulating barrier to protect the animal and plant life beneath from freezing in the water. If this did not happen, plants and animals living in water would freeze in a block of ice and could not move freely, making life in cold temperatures difficult or impossible. While groundwater usually has low DO levels, groundwater-fed streams can hold more oxygen due to the influx of colder water and the mixing it causes ¹⁵.

Does Air And Water Signs Mix While water equilibrates toward 100% air saturation, dissolved oxygen levels will also fluctuate with temperature, salinity and pressure changes ³. As such, dissolved oxygen levels can range from less than 1 mg/L to more than 20 mg/L depending on how all of these factors interact. In freshwater systems such as lakes, rivers and streams, dissolved oxygen concentrations will vary by season, location and water depth. Historically the Bay's oyster population was in the tens of billions, and they circulated the entire Bay volume in a matter of days. Due to pollution, disease and over-harvesting their population are a fraction of their historic levels. Water that was once clear for meters is now so turbid and sediment ridden that a wader may lose sight of their feet before their knees are wet.

Oxygen is normally supplied by "Submerged Aquatic Vegetation" via photosynthesis but pollution and sediments have reduced the plant population as well. Resulting in a reduction of dissolved oxygen levels rendering areas of the bay unsuitable for aquatic life. Researchers have proposed that oxygenation through artificial means as a solution to help improve water quality. Aeration of hypoxic water bodies seems an appealing solution and it has been tried successfully many times on freshwater ponds and small lakes. However no one has undertaken an aeration project as large as an estuary. The hydrogen bonds in water allow it to absorb and release heat energy more slowly than many other substances.

As the motion increases, energy is higher and thus temperature is higher. Water absorbs a great deal of energy before its temperature rises. Increased energy disrupts the hydrogen bonds between water molecules.

Because these bonds can be created and disrupted rapidly, water absorbs an increase in energy and temperature changes only minimally. This means that water moderates temperature changes within organisms and in their environments. As energy input continues, the balance between hydrogen-bond formation and destruction swings toward the destruction side.

This process results in the release of individual water molecules at the surface of the liquid in a process called evaporation. Evaporation of sweat, which is 90 percent water, allows for cooling of an organism, because breaking hydrogen bonds requires an input of energy and takes heat away from the body. During a long hot summer, you may notice fish gulping air at the surface of a pond.

Why do you think the fish come to the surface like this, instead of breathing dissolved oxygen in the water the way they normally do? Like carbon dioxide, the concentration of dissolved oxygen is also affected by temperature. Cold water can hold more dissolved oxygen than warm water.

In winter and early spring, when the water temperature is low, the dissolved oxygen concentration is high. In summer and early fall, when the water temperature is high, the dissolved-oxygen concentration is lower.Coal-burning power plants heat water to turn turbines to make electricity. After using the water, it is cooled and then returned to the river or lake it came from.

Why is it important to cool the water before returning it to the river? Dissolved gases, like oxygen for fish and carbon dioxide for aquatic plants, would escape if the returned water were hot. The equation shows that water will remain at 100% air saturation at equilibrium. However, there are several factors that can affect this. Aquatic respiration and decomposition lower DO concentrations, while rapid aeration and photosynthesis can contribute to supersaturation. During the process of photosynthesis, oxygen is produced as a waste product.

This adds to the dissolved oxygen concentration in the water, potentially bringing it above 100% saturation ¹⁴. In addition, the equalization of water is a slow process . This means that dissolved oxygen levels can easily be more than 100% air saturation during the day in photosynthetically active bodies of water ¹⁴. The capability for a molecule to absorb heat energy is called heat capacity, which can be calculated by the equation shown in the figure.

Water's high heat capacity is a property caused by hydrogen bonding among water molecules. When heat is absorbed, hydrogen bonds are broken and water molecules can move freely. When the temperature of water decreases, the hydrogen bonds are formed and release a considerable amount of energy. Water has the highest specific heat capacity of any liquid. Specific heat is defined as the amount of heat one gram of a substance must absorb or lose to change its temperature by one degree Celsius. As a result, it takes water a long time to heat and a long time to cool.

In fact, the specific heat capacity of water is about five times more than that of sand. Many tropical saltwater fish, including clown fish, angel fish and groupers require higher levels of DO, such as those surrounding coral reefs. Coral reefs are found in the euphotic zone (where light penetrates the water – usually not deeper than 70 m). Higher dissolved oxygen concentrations are generally found around coral reefs due to photosynthesis and aeration from eddies and breaking waves ³⁷. These DO levels can fluctuate from 4-15 mg/L, though they usually remain around 5-8 mg/L, cycling between day photosynthesis production and night plant respiration ³⁸. In terms of air saturation, this means that dissolved oxygen near coral reefs can easily range from % ³⁹.

Not all water depths reach 100% air saturationIn a stable body of water with no stratification, dissolved oxygen will remain at 100% air saturation. 100% air saturation means that the water is holding as many dissolved gas molecules as it can in equilibrium. At equilibrium, the percentage of each gas in the water would be equivalent to the percentage of that gas in the atmosphere – i.e. its partial pressure ¹³.

The water will slowly absorb oxygen and other gasses from the atmosphere until it reaches equilibrium at complete saturation 10. This process is sped up by wind-driven waves and other sources of aeration ³. At the macroscopic level, heat is the transfer of energy from the high temperature object to the low temperature object. At the particle level, heat flow can be explained in terms of the net effect of the collisions of a whole bunch of little bangers. Warming and cooling is the macroscopic result of this particle-level phenomenon. Now let's apply this particle view to the scenario of the metal can with the hot water positioned inside of a Styrofoam cup containing cold water.

On average, the particles with the greatest kinetic energy are the particles of the hot water. Being a fluid, those particles move about with translational kinetic energy and bang upon the particles of the metal can. As the hot water particles bang upon the particles of the metal can, they transfer energy to the metal can. Most metals are good thermal conductors so they warm up quite quickly throughout the bulk of the can. The can assumes nearly the same temperature as the hot water.

Being a solid, the metal can consists of little wigglers. The wigglers at the outer perimeter of the metal can bang upon particles in the cold water. The collisions between the particles of the metal can and the particles of the cold water result in the transfer of energy to the cold water.

The interaction between the particles of the hot water, the metal can and the cold water results in a transfer of energy outward from the hot water to the cold water. At the macroscopic level, one would observe a decrease in temperature of the hot water and an increase in temperature of the cold water. If you have been following along since the beginning of this lesson, then you have been developing a progressively sophisticated understanding of temperature and heat.

You should be developing a model of matter as consisting of particles which vibrate , translate and even rotate . Temperature is a measure of the average amount of kinetic energy possessed by the particles in a sample of matter. The more the particles vibrate, translate and rotate, the greater the temperature of the object. You have hopefully adopted an understanding of heat as a flow of energy from a higher temperature object to a lower temperature object. It is the temperature difference between the two neighboring objects that causes this heat transfer. The heat transfer continues until the two objects have reached thermal equilibrium and are at the same temperature.

The discussion of heat transfer has been structured around some everyday examples such as the cooling of a hot mug of coffee and the warming of a cold can of pop. Finally, we have explored a thought experiment in which a metal can containing hot water is placed within a Styrofoam cup containing cold water. Heat is transferred from the hot water to the cold water until both samples have the same temperature. Sockeye salmon with gas bubble diseaseJust as low dissolved oxygen can cause problems, so too can high concentrations. Supersaturated water can cause gas bubble disease in fish and invertebrates ¹². Significant death rates occur when dissolved oxygen remains above 115%-120% air saturation for a period of time.

Total mortality occurs in young salmon and trout in under three days at 120% dissolved oxygen saturation ¹². Invertebrates, while also affected by gas bubble disease, can usually tolerate higher levels of supersaturation than fish ¹². Warm, shallow saltwater reaches 100% air saturation at a lower concentration, but can often achieve levels over 100% due to photosynthesis and aeration.

Shallow waters also remain closer to 100% saturation due to atmospheric contact and constant diffusion ¹⁰. When you looked closely, you might have observed that on the graphite electrode connected to the negative pole of the battery more gas was formed than on the other side. Collecting the two gases with the jumbo straws probably demonstrated this even better. The difference is due to the fact that one water molecule has two hydrogen atoms to one oxygen atom, as explained above. This means it takes two water molecules to make one oxygen molecule . At the same time, however, two molecules of water can make two molecules of hydrogen .

Whereas hydrogen and oxygen are formed at the electrodes, the leftover reaction products from water are protons (H+ on the side of oxygen) and hydroxyl ions (OH- on the side of hydrogen). You can visualize this by putting a pH strip into the solutions in the jumbo straws above each electrode. The solution in the straw that was put on top of the negative battery pole electrode should show a basic pH whereas the other one should be acidic . Water has many properties that are critical to maintaining life.

It is polar, allowing for the formation of hydrogen bonds, which allow ions and other polar molecules to dissolve in water. The hydrogen bonds between water molecules give water the ability to hold heat better than many other substances. As the temperature rises, the hydrogen bonds between water continually break and reform, allowing for the overall temperature to remain stable, although increased energy is added to the system. Water's cohesive forces allow for the property of surface tension. All of these unique properties of water are important in the chemistry of living organisms. If the hypolimnion is deep enough to never mix with the upper layers, it is known as the monimolimnion.

The hypolimnion is separated from the upper layers by the chemocline or halocline. These clines mark the boundary between oxic and anoxic water and salinity gradients, respectively. While lab conditions would conclude that at colder temperatures and higher pressures water can hold more dissolved oxygen, this is not always the result. In the hypolimnion, bacteria and fungi use dissolved oxygen to decompose organic material ⁶. This organic material comes from dead algae and other organisms that sink to the bottom.

The dissolved oxygen used in decomposition is not replaced – there is no atmospheric contact, aeration or photosynthesis to restore DO levels in the hypolimnion ¹¹. Thus the process of decomposition "uses up" all of the oxygen within this layer. Extended periods of supersaturation can occur in highly aerated waters, often near hydropower dams and waterfalls, or due to excessive photosynthetic activity. Algae blooms can cause air saturations of over 100% due to large amounts of oxygen as a photosynthetic byproduct. This is often coupled with higher water temperatures, which also affects saturation.

¹² At higher temperatures, water becomes 100% saturated at lower concentrations, so higher dissolved oxygen concentrations mean even higher air saturation levels. In general, dissolved oxygen levels are about 20% less in seawater than in freshwater ³. Because water is polar, with slight positive and negative charges, ionic compounds and polar molecules can readily dissolve in it. Water is, therefore, what is referred to as a solvent—a substance capable of dissolving another substance. The charged particles will form hydrogen bonds with a surrounding layer of water molecules. This is referred to as a sphere of hydration and serves to keep the particles separated or dispersed in the water.

In the case of table salt mixed in water, the sodium and chloride ions separate, or dissociate, in the water, and spheres of hydration are formed around the ions. A positively charged sodium ion is surrounded by the partially negative charges of oxygen atoms in water molecules. A negatively charged chloride ion is surrounded by the partially positive charges of hydrogen atoms in water molecules. These spheres of hydration are also referred to as hydration shells. The polarity of the water molecule makes it an effective solvent and is important in its many roles in living systems. To calculate dissolved oxygen concentrations from air saturation, it is necessary to know the temperature and salinity of the sample.

Barometric pressure has already been accounted for as the partial pressure of oxygen contributes to the percent air saturation 7. Salinity and temperature can then be used in Henry's Law to calculate what the DO concentration would be at 100% air saturation 10. However, it is easier to use an oxygen solubility chart. These charts show the dissolved oxygen concentration at 100% air saturation at varying temperatures, and salinities.

How Long Will Windows 11 Be Free For Windows 10 Users

If your existing Windows 10 PC is running Windows 10 20H1 or later and meets the minimum hardware specificationsit will be able to upgrade to Windows 11. The upgrade rollout plan is still being finalized, but for most devices already in use today, we expect it to be ready sometime in early 2022. Not all Windows 10 PCs that are eligible to upgrade will be offered to upgrade at the same time.

To see if your PC is eligible to upgrade, refer to our knowledge base for a list of tested systems. Once the upgrade rollout has started, you can check if it is ready for your device by going to Settings/Windows Updates. Similar to how end users are notified when updates are available in Windows 10, end users will see an indication in the notification areas of the taskbar in the bottom right, that the upgrade is available.

More information on how that is presented will be available at a later date. Additional desktop notification options may be also be added at a later date. Warren noted that he rarely used the Widgets panel or Microsoft Teams, citing that he preferred the weather display that later versions of Windows 10 offered, and didn't use Teams to communicate with his friends and family. He also acknowledged the expansion of Microsoft Store to include more "traditional" desktop applications. Overall, he concluded that "I wouldn't rush out to upgrade to Windows 11, but I also wouldn't avoid it. After all, Windows 11 still feels familiar and underneath all the UI changes, it's the same Windows we've had for decades."

In October 2019, Microsoft announced "Windows 10X", a future edition of Windows 10 designed exclusively for dual-touchscreen devices such as the then-upcoming Surface Neo. Legacy Windows applications would also be required to run in "containers" to ensure performance and power optimization. Microsoft stated that it planned to release Windows 10X devices by the end of 2020.

Windows 11 requires modern hardware to run, but if your PC has a CPU released in the last 3-4 years, you're probably in luck. To provide enhanced security to its users, Microsoft is requiring all PCs to feature a specialized chip called a Trusted Platform Module, or TPM, of at least version 2.0. This chip is found in most modern CPUs and also many motherboards. Computers built before 2017 may not be compatible, however, so it's important to take a close look at the minimum system requirements before opting into an upgrade. Microsoft has temporarily disabled its PC Health Check tool to update it for the Windows 11 release, but it promises to advise you of any compatibility issues you may be facing ahead of the upgrade. Cunningham concluded that "as I've dug into and learned its ins and outs for this review, I've warmed to it more", but argued that the OS was facing similar "public perception" issues to Windows Vista and Windows 8.

Internet Explorer has been replaced by the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge as the default web browser, and Microsoft Teams is integrated into the Windows shell. Microsoft also announced plans to allow more flexibility in software that can be distributed via Microsoft Store, and to support Android apps on Windows 11 . Windows 11 brings a number of enhancements to Windows users, including a new look, multitasking enhancements, improved gaming performance, Android app support, and more.

Aesthetically, it will have a new, frosted glass look, and a reworked start menu, now known as the Dock, optimized for touch input on the latest devices. Users will be able to rearrange windows into new arrangements, like a 4x4 grid, using Snap Layouts that can then be saved into Snap Groups and recalled later. The desktop will also be enhanced with the addition of Windows Widgets, an AI-driven feed of updates based on your interests and daily tasks, including daily calendar updates, traffic, weather, sports, and more.

A redesigned user interface is present frequently throughout the operating system, building upon Fluent Design System; translucency, shadows, a new color palette, and rounded geometry are prevalent throughout the UI. If your computer meets the minimum requirements to run Windows 11, you can sign up for the Windows Insider Program today and download the update today. If you'd rather wait for the official release, which will also be free for eligible Windows 10 users, the only thing to do at this point is wait.

Once it's available, you'll either be able to download directly through the Windows Update tool or as a standalone download from Microsoft. As we mention above, if you do decide to try the preview version, be sure to back up your computer and prepare to encounter a few bugs in this early release. Windows 11 release date is set for October 5, Microsoft on Tuesday announced — a couple of months after unveiling the new operating system.

The new Windows version will bring a list of changes, including the refresh interface and a centrally placed Start menu. However, it will not include support for Android apps at the time of its official release in October. It's not imperative that you upgrade your system to Windows in the next couple of weeks, or even months. According to Microsoft's own lifecycle website, Windows 10 Home, Pro and Enterprise editions will continue to be supported by Microsoft until October 2025; your device will get essential security updates for another four years. For many people, that's about the time to upgrade to a newer device, one that will come with Windows 11 already installed. If you are having a brand new laptop or PC, then your system must be compatible with Windows 11 or even might come with it preinstalled.

But issues may arise with the older versions of PCs, as its hardware might not match with the requirements of Windows 11. If your PC has a 7th gen or previous Intel CPU, then it is unsupported by the latest upgrade. Still, you can migrate to Windows 11, but the way is a little more complicated as you will need to download install files, then perform a clean install and then restore the program and data files. That said, if you're feeling adventurous or wait until Microsoft officially releases Windows 11 to the public, this new OS has a lot of interesting features that are poised to genuinely change your computing experience. Snap Layouts should offer better multitasking support, especially on large or ultrawide monitors. Android app support opens a whole new app ecosystem up to Windows users.

Only time will tell if Windows 11 proves to be as popular as Windows 10, but it seems like Microsoft is providing compelling reasons to sign up for the update when the time is right for you. For productivity, the operating system will now feature native Microsoft Teams integration. Microsoft says this will make it easier to connect with friends and colleagues across devices by adding Teams functionality right into the start menu and taskbar. If you use Windows on a laptop with an external display, Windows 11 will also remember the position of windows on that screen when disconnected and will restore them once it's plugged back in. If the Microsoft Surface family of products isn't your style though, other brands like Dell, Asus and HP have all released pages online that specify what devices are Windows 11 ready.

Note that many won't come with the new operating system installed, but as they all meet the minimum system requirements, you can simply buy the laptop or 2-in-1 as normal and then update it yourself. Original equipment manufacturers can still ship computers without a TPM 2.0 coprocessor upon Microsoft's approval. Some third-party software may refuse to run on unsupported configurations of Windows 11. Unless you crave the cutting edge, it's okay to wait on upgrading for now. Windows updates are exciting and it can be tempting to be on the ground floor for any major technology release.

Bugs can happen, sometimes big ones that can leave you rolling back to a previous operating system version. More frequently, you'll find that certain features just aren't finished yet and the experience isn't as polished as it will eventually become. You'll be one of the first to experience those exciting new features but it often demands more patience as they continue to be developed. Windows 11 SE was announced on November 9, 2021, as an edition exclusively for low-end devices sold in the education market, and a successor to Windows 10 S. It is bundled with applications such as Microsoft Office for Microsoft 365, Minecraft Education Edition, and Flipgrid, while OneDrive is used to save files by default.

Windows 11 SE does not include Microsoft Store; third-party software is provisioned or installed by administrators. As part of the minimum system requirements, Windows 11 only runs on devices with a Trusted Platform Module 2.0 security coprocessor. According to Microsoft, the TPM 2.0 coprocessor is a "critical building block" for protection against firmware and hardware attacks. In addition, Microsoft now requires devices with Windows 11 to include virtualization-based security , hypervisor-protected code integrity , and Secure Boot built-in and enabled by default.

The operating system also features hardware-enforced stack protection for supported Intel and AMD processors for protection against zero-day exploits. Microsoft hasn't shared an official release date for Windows 11, though Microsoft has confirmed it's coming during the holiday season. There have been rumors on social media of an October release date, though this hasn't been confirmed. There is also the possibility that some bugs and issues may appear on Windows 11 at release. Waiting to roll out free upgrades would give Microsoft the time to address any problems before rolling out the free upgrade.

The computing giant did something similar in 2018 when it delayed its October update by a month after some users who installed the update reported losing files. Windows 11 has higher technical requirements than Windows 10, is possible to install Windows 11 on devices that don't meet the minimum requirements. Upgrading unsupported hardware to Windows 11 will require you to install the update manually using an ISO.

There is a different set of minimum minimum requirements your PC will have to meet including 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage space, and two-core 64-bit 1 GHz processor. After weeks of leaks and hype, Microsoft today officially announced Windows 11, the next version of its desktop operating system. If you haven't seen it through Windows Update yet, you can still get the final build through the Beta and Release Preview channels of the Windows Insider Program, as long as you have a compatible PC. The Dev channel is already running rs_prerelease builds to test out new features, so be careful with that. If you enroll in the Dev channel, you'll have to do a clean installation of Windows 11 to roll back.

And of course, you can also get it on a bunch of new laptops and desktops like the Surface Laptop Studio and Surface Pro 8. Microsoft has just revealed the timeline for the free Windows 11 upgrades it promised to existing Windows 10 users with compatible machines and it is not good news. At the launch, the company announced that Windows 11 will be launching later this year which people naturally assumed to mean that those free Windows 11 upgrades would also begin to roll out too. Instead, Windows 11 will only start rolling out to existing Windows 10 users in 2022, and even then, the rollout will be staggered. Windows Widgets are back in Windows 11, accessible via the dock, with Microsoft touting AI-powered dynamic features that enable widgets, as with the Start menu, to change depending on the apps you're using and the time of day.

On the touchscreen, you can slide from the left on the desktop to have widgets appear. At least 16GB of RAM The basic system requirements of Windows 11 differ significantly from Windows 10. Windows 11 only supports 64-bit systems such as those using an x86-64 or ARM64 processor; IA-32 processors are no longer supported.

Thus, Windows 11 is the first ever consumer version of Windows not to support 32-bit processors and 16-bit software . The minimum RAM and storage requirements were also increased; Windows 11 now requires at least 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The compatibility list includes the Intel Core i7-7820HQ, a seventh-generation processor used by the Surface Studio 2, although only on devices that shipped with DCH-based drivers. Citing security considerations, the system requirements for Windows 11 were increased over Windows 10.

While the OS can be installed on unsupported processors, Microsoft does not guarantee the availability of updates. Windows 11 also drops support for 32-bit x86 CPUs and devices which use BIOS firmware. These feel like features Microsoft will inevitably add back in over the coming months, which does highlight how meager an upgrade Windows 11 feels on launch day.

And we're likely to see some other problems pop up as more people start using Windows 11, like the file explorer memory leak. Aside from the new aesthetic, the few big features Microsoft talked about in its presentation this summer—especially the ones to do with gaming—just aren't here yet. Microsoft will release Windows 11 to supported PCs on October 5, nearly four months after its announcement of the same. The tech giant said that Windows 11 will come as a free upgrade for Windows 10 users in eligible PCs while the priority will be for the supported devices that have been launched recently. Microsoft makes you accept that the company can stop providing updates, and security patches to Windows 11 on these devices.

While Microsoft is unlikely to do that in practice, it's still better to be on the safer side. Also, you're likely to run into driver incompatibility issues on unsupported devices. Especially, if your computer is running hardware that is more than 5-6 years old. Microsoft has promised to relaunch the PC Health Check app soon to let users check the eligibility status of their Windows 10 PCs. In the meantime, you can get the PC Health Check app in preview if you're a member of the Windows Insider programme. You can also look at Windows 11 minimum system requirements to determine whether your PC stands eligible to receive the new operating system update.

Windows 11 will be provided as a free update to all eligible devices that are currently running Windows 10. Eligibility for automatic upgrade is based on certain minimum hardware requirements. The short answer is no, Microsoft isn't going to force anyone to upgrade to Windows 11.

Starting with Windows 10 version 1903, the Redmond firm stopped forcing people to install feature updates. This came after a disastrous Windows 10 version 1809 that actually deleted some users' files. Microsoft's Windows 11 launch news has been something of a mixed bag. On one hand, the latest version of Windows looks promising with big improvements to its UI and under the hood enhancements said to deliver 40 percent better performance. On the other hand, there has been a lot of confusion and disappointment among some users with relatively new machines who don't appear to be eligible to upgrade at all due to strict new requirements. You can refer to our knowledge base for a list of tested systems to determine if your device eligible to upgrade to Windows -11.

Many PCs that are less than four years old will be able to upgrade to Windows 11. They must be running 20H1 or later version of Windows 10 and meet the minimum hardware requirements to receive the Windows 11 upgrade. Windows 11, the first major Windows release since 2015, builds upon its predecessor by revamping the user interface to follow Microsoft's new Fluent Design guidelines. The redesign, which focuses on ease of use and flexibility, comes alongside new productivity and social features and updates to security and accessibility, addressing some of the deficiencies of Windows 10. There is a way to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware, but we wouldn't recommend it.

Although Microsoft hasn't confirmed it, the company has heavily implied that unsupported users won't receive critical security updates. If you still want to install, you can do so using the Media Creation Tool, which bypasses hardware checks. Windows 11 is the latest operating system from Microsoft and will likely become the next major OS across the board. If you're unfamiliar with what an operating system is, the important thing to know is that an operating system is what you see when you boot your PC.

It is the user interface that lets you do things like run programs, browse the web, and store data. Microsoft has been releasing Windows versions since the mid-1980s and has made it the lead operating system in the world today. As the name implies, Windows 11 is the eleventh major release of the OS and will bring with it a number of major feature and functionality updates. If you are buying a new PC, it will more than likely come with Windows 11 already installed.

Microsoft has a range of its own devices that were built to run the new operating system, from the Surface Pro 8 and the Surface Go 3 to the updates to the new Surface Studio laptop. Other computer makers such as HP and Dell have also got Windows 11 devices ready to go. They all cost money, however, and could be out of the price range of many potential Windows 11 users. Windows 11 is getting a tiered rollout, starting with newer devices.